Your say / Bristol Harbour
‘Opportunities on the waterfront need to be fully exploited’
As one of the UK’s great port cities and the home of John Cabot’s Matthew and Isambard Kingdom the SS Great Britain, Bristol is rightly proud of its maritime heritage.
Great strides have been made in recent years with regeneration of large parts of the city’s waterfront in terms of new residential schemes and in the city’s leisure offering, with the latest scheme being the transformation of the derelict Redcliffe Wharf site into a new development containing flats, restaurants, shops and offices.
House boats have become increasingly popular as an alternative place for people to live, and water taxis are helping to ease the city’s traffic congestion, but the fact that remains that Bristol is missing a trick when it comes to fully exploiting the potential of one of the jewels in its crown.
is needed now More than ever
Ventures such as Redcliffe Wharf would exploit Bristol’s waterfront, says Tim Davies
If you look at what’s happening in areas like Docklands and the South Bank beside the Thames in London, Brindleyplace in Birmingham and its many miles of canals, and developments such as Salford Quays in Manchester, it is clear that Bristol is lagging behind.
In the three largest cities in the country, the water is well established as a place to work, rest and play – and also increasingly to live. Bristol has many challenges ahead but it is essential that Bristol City Council and local stakeholders focus on what can be achieved on and around our waterways.
Bristol is fast running out of land in the city centre and the opportunities on the waterfront need to be fully exploited.
Tim Davies is head of the South West and Wales at global real estate advisor Colliers International.
Read more: Watershed unveil plans for six-storey extension and new cinema
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
